Sophie
by AiLing
Summary: The moment I set my eyes on her, I just knew that she was different from the other kids. Something about her just stood out for me, but I couldn’t quite point out what it was.
1. Chapter 1

**This is initially meant to be a brand new chapter for an existing story of mine. But after much contemplation, I've decided to post this as another mini-fanfic instead. I hope you'll enjoy this story! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own this. Shonda does. But I do own Sophie though.**

Sophie

**Arizona's POV**

As a paediatric surgeon, I see hundreds of sick kids daily, and I operate on at least five kids daily. Initially, I would feel remorse for each of these patients, and it eventually took an emotional toll on me. So I learnt to let go...to let go of each dear and adorable patient who I couldn't save despite my uttermost efforts. And I learnt masked depression, which is to appear cheerful and happy on the outside, even though you're in actual fact feeling depressed and crushed on the inside. I guess masked depression is a skill that we surgeons have acquired all the way back from our med school days.

The moment I set my eyes on her, I just knew that she was different from the other kids. Something about her just stood out for me, but I couldn't quite point out what it was. Maybe it is her huge hazel eyes staring back at me. Or maybe it is her long dark brown wavy hair which reached her shoulders. Or maybe it is her Minnie mouse hairband and the little French doll which she holds in her hands.

But what stood out the most about her is that both her arms and legs were wrapped in cast. Maybe she had a bad fall? Or maybe, just maybe…

I shake the thought out of my head.

Now, her mother is approaching me, holding her daughter in one hand. The mother, I've to say, looks like a stern woman with her dark hair rolled back into a bun. She'll tall and looks to be in her early forties.

She extends her hands to me and I shake it.

'Is this the Paediatric Surgeon?' she asked.

'Yes, it's me.'

' Ah…, glad to meet you finally! I've heard so much about you…how you do all these amazing surgeries….how you saved the lives of so many children'

I smile and blush slightly at the compliment. 'Thank you.'

' Ermm….I'm Mrs. Wright, and this is my elder daughter Sophie.'

'Oh...' I say as Sophie now looks up at me with those hazel eyes. There is a tinge of sadness in her eyes

'Sophie was born with type 3 OI, she has sustained hundreds of fractures throughout the five years of her life. I heard that you're the top paediatric surgeon in this country, and I thought that maybe you can fix her, you know, like insert prostheses into her…'

'Fix her?' How on earth do you expect a Paediatric surgeon to fix a child with OI? I think.

But what came out of my mouth before I could stop myself was 'We'll see what we can do, Mrs. Wright.'

Sophie is staring at me again.

' Sophie, remember your manners….it's rude not to greet people who are older than you.'says her mother sternly.

' Hello ' Sophie said in a shy voice.

I bend down so that our eyes were at the same level and smile warmly at her.

'Hello Sophie. You can call me Arizona.'

She slowly lets out a shy smile. 'I've a friend named Arizona too.'

'Oh cool! Does she look like me?'

'No…she has brown hair like me.'

* * *

Now I'm in Sophie's room. Her mother has gone down to the hospital canteen to get some drinks. We sit in silence for a while.

'Sophie, you ok?' I ask, not knowing what else to say to her.

'Yeah, I guess' she answered, staring at the carpeted floor.

' Look, your mother isn't here at the moment, so if there's anything in your mind that has been bothering you, you can tell me.' I try to sound nice enough to convince her. Although I'm not a child psychiatrist, but the lack of eye contact is a strong indication that something is not right.

Tense silence fills there room. I can just feel that she's contemplating on telling me something.

Then suddenly she breaks the silence.

' She's not my mother'.

'I'm sorry?'

' I said she's not my mother'

I am puzzled. 'But she just told me that she's your mother….'

' She's not my real mother. She's my step-mother. My real mother is not here anymore. She's in heaven.' She said matter-of factly. Suddenly, she sounds much older than her age.

' Oh…I'm so sorry to hear that…' I said genuinely. 'How about your dad?'

' He is busy at work. He always comes back drunk at night.'

Now, I feel terrible for her.

' And so now my step-mother is looking after me and my sister. But she always yells at us..'

' Maybe she means well…you know, she loves both of you and wants to teach you to be good'

At first she said it in such a small voice that I've to ask her to repeat it.

' She hits me'.

Suddenly, I wonder if the whole OI thing was just a cover up…a means of disguising non-accidental injury. In other words…she might have been abused.

If that's the case, I would need the help of social services.

And there's only one way to find out…

I quickly ask her to remove her clothes and examine her entire body. Her right arm is wrapped in a figure eight sling and backslab. Both her legs are wrapped in an above knee cast. There are no bite marks, no torn frenulum, no stab or strangulation marks….

Suddenly I spot a multiple bruises on her left and right thighs and on her neck as well.

Some seem to be more recent compared to the others. Children with OI get fractures and not bruises. Even children with haemophilia (which is more common in boys) suffer from swollen joints and not this. There is only one other possibility left besides non-accidental injury, and that was thrombocytopenia, the lack of platelets. Maybe she also has ITP?

'Sophie, how did you get this?' I ask softly.

She looks away from me, ashamed. ' I bruise easily'.

'Sophie…'

' She pinched me' came the pained answer.

And it pinches me even more to hear the answer.

I'm having none of this… how can such an innocent little girl be treated in such a manner?

I call my girl Callie, who also happens to be an Orthopaedic surgeon.

'Callie, I have this patient a 5 year old girl who her mother says is diagnosed with type 3 OI, and she wants me to fix her.. so I need your help desperately.'

'Sure' came the reassuring voice on the other end of the line. 'I'll drop by after I check on my patient'

'My girlfriend is the best' I say… not realizing that Sophie is staring at me now.

' Oh…and Callie…. 'I now lower my voice

' I suspect might have been abused. I want to investigate this further. Can you also send me one of the residents to order the CBC, Dexa Scan and upper and lower limb XRays…

'Alright….hey Alex! Can you do me a favor?' I hear her call.

Just as I hang up, Sophie's mother enters the room, holding two cups of hot chocolate.

She smiles at me and puts down a cup on the bedside table and hands the other cup to Sophie.

Then she walks over to me and whispers in my ear…

' I love Sophie. I would never hurt her.'

She hands me some of Sophie previous medical records- all her previous hospitalizations and previous outpatient visits.

She then takes her sit beside Sophie, and both of them begin to chat casually like nothing had happened at all.

Me thinks that Sophie can qualify to be the youngest ever Oscar winner.

* * *

Moments later, Callie and I are standing in front Sophie's XRay scans. They showed exactly what we've expected, several closed fractures on both her upper and lower limbs.

And her DEXA scan showed that she indeed did have osteopenia. Her CBC results were normal though, with no indication of anemia or thrombocytopenia.

It turns out that Sophie does indeed have OI but doesn't have any coagulation disorders. I still cannot ignore the fact that Sophie told me that her mother (or stepmother) had hit and pinched her. Those are some serious allegations.

' Well, there's nothing we can do at the moment.' Says Callie. My girlfriend reads my mind, this is one of the things I love about her.

' Whether she has been abused or not, we have nothing to prove it'

' The only thing we can do at the moment is to treat her current fractures' she says with a sigh. 'I've to put her on internal fixators asap.'

' You know, Callie, I always wonder why life is full of misery. Why innocent people, innocent children have to suffer. Why is life so unfair?' I ask suddenly.

' Because God wants to test our faith.' she says simply. 'Life is just a test, a test to see how well we can endure this race, because our real life begins up there in heaven.'

I'm not a religious person, but I love it when Callie goes all spiritual like this.

' Life is a test.' I repeat, leaning against her shoulder, suddenly feeling exhausted and worn out by the day's events.

' Pizza?' Callie suggests, and I smile. 'Naked?' I suggest back, and Callie laughs.

'Not in this hospital. But tonight when we end our shift…'

I kiss her on the cheek.

'Can't wait….'

That night, as dear Callie and I chat our way through a meal of pizza, and had a long nice shower together, I just cannot stop thinking about Sophie.

**Well, this is the first chapter of my new story. Please do review…I need to know whether you like it or not. And if I get enough reviews, I would proceed on with this story. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews and Story Alerts! They really made my day!! :D Because of the good response, I'm continuing this story….**

**This chapter is shorter than initially planned, as I was being kept busy with my electives in the Autistic Home and therefore could only write a paragraph at a time.**

**I still hope you enjoy it nonetheless!**

**Chapter 2- To call or not to call**

**Arizona's POV**

The next day, I am about to enter Sophie's room, but I stop on my tracks about 10 feet away. There seems to be a commotion coming from the room. I strain my ears to hear, but I can only make up bits and pieces here and there, like 'why wouldn't you talk to me?!' The door opens and I jump in fright, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping here.

But to my relief, it was Alex, one of the residents who seems to have a genuine interest in Paeds. Well, to say that he looks upset is an understatement. He is _fuming._

I walk beside him, falling in pace with his angry strides.

'Alex, what's wrong?' I finally ask when we are a considerable distance away from Sophie's room.

' I try to dig some information out of Sophie, but this girl just wouldn't tell me anything. Granted, her mother was with her the entire morning, but I tried to talk to her when her mother went to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. But she was just as still as a stone, and told me that she was fine…'

' Maybe she just opens up to certain people….'

' Yeah, bright, friendly and perky people like you' Alex snickers.

' Yeah, maybe she likes me' I smile at him, which I know would aggravate his anger.

Alex lets out a huff. ' So now we're still in ground zero. We have no idea, no proof whether she has been abused or not. Who knows she hates her mother and might just be making this whole thing up…'

' Step-mother' I correct'

' What?'

' She told me she is her step-mother'

Alex glares at me and shakes his head as he walks away.

* * *

I am now in Sophie's room, examining her for pre-op. Together, Callie and I are going to operate on Sophie and insert some internal fixators into both her upper and lower limbs.

Hopefully, with the internal fixators, her bones would be stronger and will not be as fragile and easily fractured as before. And subsequently, we hope that Sophie would be able to lead a normal life- jumping, running and skipping about like other children her age.

I am taking her vital signs, which seem good to me. I also examine her neurovascular function, which seem intact.

Her mother was looking on as I did this.

After I gave her the all clear, Sophie, who was becoming restless, suddenly proclaimed that she was going to take a walk out of the hospital room. She must have been so bored, poor thing.

' No Sophie, came the stern reply. ' Remember what I told you? No walking out alone by yourself, I don't want you to sustain any more fractures'

But Sophie was adamant this time.

' Just this one time'

'Sophie Anne Wright' this time it comes as a warning.

' Mommy, just this once. You never let me walk myself. I'll use the crutches, I promise.

'NO!'

Silence.

Then after a while…' Sophie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound that harsh. I just…don't want you to get hurt and sustain anymore fractures. Do you understand?'

The little girl just shook her head, she looks so sad, like she's about to cry.

* * *

' Hmmm…, nothing seems to be happening' says Callie.

'She and I were sitting at the adjacent nurses counter ( we allocated Sophie to be in the room opposite the nurses counter so that we can observe her better),

Soon we were joined by Meredith and Cristina, who have just finished checking on their post-op patients.

'Hey, how's it going' Cristina greets us.

'Shh….' I silence her. She frowns.

' Nothing so far?' Meredith whispers.

Callie and I shake our heads in response.

You see, we are officially on Sophie Watch. Callie, I, Meredith, Cristina, Alex and Lexie would take turns to sit at the nurses counter, pretending to do charting and stuff, when in actual fact we were keeping watch of the room opposite for any signs of unusual interaction between Sophie and her mom. You can call us nosy, but we're just being concerned. For all we know, Sophie might have never been abused before, and if so, that's great. But we are not taking any chances, we want to find any evidence of abuse, to prevent Sophie from suffering even more abuse in the future. You know, as doctors, we need to have empathy for our patients.

Sophie Watch had been uneventful so far after 24 hours.

Callie and I leave the counter to check on some pre-op patients, leaving best friends Meredith and Cristina at the counter.

Half an hour later, I am checking on a little 5 year old boy who has retinoblastoma, when I feel a tap on my shoulder, and Meredith is standing beside me.

' Is it about Sophie?' I ask concerned.

' Cristina and I saw with our own eyes…Sophie had an argument with her mom, and her mom slapped her on the face and pinched her arm. I think she pinched her several times..'

That was evidence enough for me to pick up the phone to call Social Services.

Just as a female voice could be heard answering at the other end of the line, Meredith grabbed the phone receiver from me and put it down.

'Wha….' I stare at the smaller blonde, speechless.

'With all due respect, Dr. Robbins, I know your intention of calling Social Services is good.. But think about it, even if Sophie's mom really does abuse her often, what would happen to her if she is being taken away? Who would look after Sophie? Where is her father anyways? Do you just want to leave her with the Social Welfare people?'

Meredith has got me thinking. I've indeed made a hasty decision in calling Social Services. Who is going to look after Sophie if her mother/step-mother gets taken away from her? Does she have any relatives? What about her younger sister?

On the other hand, I don't think I can sleep at night knowing that Sophie is probably going back home to a lifetime of abuse if we do not do anything about it.

* * *

I'm at Joe's now, having a drink or two with my dear colleagues.

' So what do you think?' I ask them. We were, of course, discussing about Sophie.

' I say go for it, call Social Services' says Cristina. ' Girl's mother needs to get her ass kicked'

' But we've only seen one instance of abuse. And even then, it's not like her mother beat her up into pieces. We still have not enough evidence to prove she has been abused at home' says Meredith.

We all look at her.

' Oh Mer, you must have had a rough childhood….did Ellis beat you up all the time?' asked Lexie sincerely. ( This might have come off as somewhat sarcastic, but she had this sincere look on her face).

' Dude, I got beaten up all the time too as a kid' Alex chimes in.

' Well, she was too busy to beat me up' came Meredith's cold reply. 'But thanks for your concern anyways', she forced a smile in her sister's direction.

' Neglect is as bad as abuse' Callie says.

'Please, can we not talk about my past?' pleads Meredith. 'Pretty please?'

' Anyways….' I say, changing the subject, ' Like Meredith said this morning, if we call Social Services and they take her away, her mother might hate us forever. It's like we are telling her indirectly that she is a terrible mother and is not capable of taking care of her daughter' And this might just destroy her relationship with her mother forever.

'Or step-mother.' That was Alex.

'Whatever, it makes no difference'

I stir my martini absent-mindedly for the hundredth time. What shall I do now? Why is life full of difficult decisions that we have to make all the time? When it comes to medicine, there is never a clear-cut answer, no black and white, but just shades of grey.

**I'll let you readers decide. Should Arizona call Social Services or not?**

**And yes, your reviews and comments are very welcome! : ) **

'


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Thank you so much for your helpful inputs and wonderful reviews!! I really appreciate them!**

**Callie's POV**

We are both running late to check on our pre-op patients. But sometimes there are more important things to deal with.

Arizona is on the phone with Social Services in my apartment, and I'm beside her, listening on curiously.

' Yes', I hear her say. 'I'm her doctor and I have proof. Two of my residents saw her being slapped and pinched by her mom'.

Silence.

'Errmmm…. you mean to say that you need more solid proof? What you want me to video tape it? Ok, I tell you what, you just come to the hospital and see the girl and her mother and talk to my residents. Then you tell me.' She says this very calmly, which is what I've always admired about her. Unlike me, Arizona is cool and level-headed. If I was the one talking on the phone, I would've been screaming my ass off at the person on the other end of the line.

Arizona puts down the phone and looks at me. I shrug. We rush off to the hospital.

* * *

When we reach the hospital there are a few casually dressed people interviewing Meredith and Cristina at the lobby. They are both casually answering the questions being thrown at them, although Cristina looks like she would rather be anywhere else except here at the lobby doing this. She shoots a death glare at Arizona's direction as Ari walks towards them and introduces herself.

'So what brings you to the allegation that she has been abused?' a red-hairedwoman who looks to be in her thirties was asking Ari. 'Your residents here said that they saw her being pinched by her mother'.

My Arizona was as calm and composed as usual.

'Yes, and add to the fact that she has multiple bruises on her arms and legs and also her allegations that her mother hit her. Those are rather serious allegations don't you think?'

'Well, let me see her then'

Arizona looks over at me for reassurance. I smile and mouth good luck to her, and soon she and the Social Services people disappear into a nearby elevator.

Then I realize that Sophie is as much my patient and she is Arizona's and Arizona really needs my support now. So I take the next elevator up to the Paediatric floor.

* * *

When I arrive I hear a commotion coming from Sophie's room.

Sophie's mother is in an uncontrolled rage. Her face was beetroot red.

'What…you've got to be kidding me. I am Sophie's mother. I love her so much and would never do this to her. What makes you say such a thing?! Dr. Robbins, I trusted you, I trusted you to treat my doctor and this is what you come up with?!

Arizona puts on her calm face as usual.

'I know, Mrs. Wright. I'm just doing what is best in Sophie's interests. '

' Mrs. Wright…have you at any time hit Sophie or pinched her such that it caused injuries to her body?' the Social Services representative asks for the second time.

Because these bruises and cuts that Sophie has are indicative of abuse. If you lie to us now, we'll still find out sooner or later' her tone is stern.

Sophie, who must be feeling lost and alone in all this, even though her room is currently crowded at the moment and she is in the centre of a huge discussion, looks around the room wide-eyed with fear.

There was a tense silence in the room. Before Mrs. Wright suddenly says

'Yes, I admit that I've hit and pinched Sophie on various occasions. But that was because she was being naughty and I love her and wanted to teach her to be a better person.'

'Mrs. Wright, Social Services will now take custody over Sophie until she is old enough to make her own decisions.'

Suddenly, without warning, Mrs. Wright breaks down in tears. Meredith awkwardly hands her some tissues, which she grudgingly accepts.

'I…I….just can't help it. He just runs off with another woman and leaves me with his daughter which isn't even my daughter. I've never been a mother before, and it is taking it's toll on me…'

' And I am the one having to take her to the clinic or hospital whenever she has these fractures, and I'm the one having to deal with all these expensive hospital bills.' she sobs.

Suddenly, I feel sympathy for this woman. She suddenly looks so small and vulnerable, so unlike the strong and stern woman I perceive her to be.

Sophie holds out her hand to her step-mother. She takes it and kisses the palm of Sophie's hand.

'But you know what? Now I don't have to worry about the bills anymore. The State can pay for them.'

With that, she walks out of the door.

On the way out of the door, she gives Arizona a knowing look, before walking down the corridors accompanied by the Social Services people. Somehow, I have the feeling that this will be the last we will see of her. She is now free, free to go on with her own life, and find a nice decent guy who would actually love her, and have her own children.

Now Arizona, I, Meredith and Cristina and Sophie are left in the room.

We look at each other, not knowing what to say or do.

'Maybe she does love me' Sophie says in a small voice.

Then she begins to cry too.

Apparently, this is too much for Arizona to take, as she leaves the room. I follow suit, sensing that she needs me there for her at this particular moment.

In the corner of my eye, I see Mer and Cristina sitting on Sophie's bed trying to comfort her.

________________________________________________________________________Arizona is in On Rall Room 3, lying on one of the bunk beds. She is staring at the ceiling. 'Ari' I say "you were very brave….'

She shakes her head. 'No…I did what I have to do.'

'Although now, it doesn't feel like something I had to do.'

Then tears begin streaming down her face.

' Did you see what just happened, Calliope?'

I nod, desperately wanting to say something, anything to comfort my girl, but not knowing how or what to say.

' I just made her step-mother leave her. Now she is practically an orphan!' Arizona says, her voice shaking. 'I feel like a murderer now, a person who makes people orphans.'

' No, you're not, Ari. You're just doing what you can to help Sophie..'

I say slowly.

' I just ruined her life, Calliope! Now, she has no one at all to take care of her! Look at what I've done…..'

'It's not your fault Ari… she looks like she really cannot deal any further with the stress of taking care of Sophie. We are doing both of them a favour…' I say, rubbing her back in circles.

' Then, who is going to take care of Sophie after she recovers from the surgery? Where will she go home to? A Children's Home where she will be with hundreds of other hungry orphans? A foster home where she might get abused again?'

' No, she is going to have wonderful foster parents who lavish her with love for the rest of her life.' I say.

She looks at me, with her sad blue eyes.

' Well, I would hope so' she says sadly.

' I know so' I say, as I hold her close to me.

As we lay there on the bed, I know that she is thinking the same thing as me_, maybe, just maybe, we could be her foster parents? _

* * *

' Great work, Dr. Torres! Says Jackson, a new resident, as we scrub out after fixing the internal fixators on Sophie.

'Thank you Avery' I say.

' Umm…Dr. Torres may I ask you a question?' Jackson says suddenly.

' Go ahead' I say, not trying to show the nervousness in my voice.

' I just wanna know who is going to take care of Sophie after she recovers from this surgery….'

' I will' I say softly, as I walk out of the room, with Jackson still standing there, staring after me.

* * *

Arizona and I are now in Sophie's room. She is sitting propped up on the pillow looking happy and contented. We have checked her post-op vitals and she seems to be doing well and is stable, except for a slight fever and some soreness, which is to be expected.

' Look , Dr. Robbins, now I can walk faster without breaking my bones!' she says happily.

We both smile at her and smile at each other.

' Umm…Sophie' I say cautiously, not wanting to spoil her happy mood. She looks at me smiling.

' About your mother…..'

' Oh…it's ok…..' she says nonchalantly.

I stare at her. What? It is _not _ok.

'She is very strict with me. She wouldn't even let me watch TV, she sometimes comes home and beats me without warning…'

Sophie is just a kid after all.

' I know….but she loves you Sophie….' I say…

Sophie sighs and leans back on her pillow, suddenly looking tired.

' Can I call her?' she asks suddenly.

We bring over the room telephone to her.

' Hello mom?' says Sophie nervously.

We hear an excited scream at the other end of the line.

Callie and I leave the room to give her some privacy.

When we return, Sophie is beaming.

'She says she cannot take care of me anymore, but that's because she loves me' Sophie reports.

'She's going to check on me and give me some pocket money sometimes' she says. ' And she's going to make sure that I'm in good hands or else……'

Somehow, I feel better. And when I hear Arizona exhaling, I know she is feeling relieved too.

Arizona and I are supposed to go back home now, but we decide to spend some time with Sophie instead.

We play snakes and ladders, _Go Fish_ and watch cartoons with Sophie, laugh and chat.

Before we know it, it is already midnight, way past Sophie's bedtime.

We tuck her in for the night.

' Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite' says Arizona softly.

' Arizona?' Sophie's eyes opened. (she is now on a first name basis with us)

' Yes dear?' says my girlfriend.

' Callie?' Sophie turns to me.

' Yes Sophie? Want a bedtime story?'

' No, I want more than that.' Sophie giggles.

' Can both of you become my foster parents?'

I gulp, stunned by the question. I was instead considering it, but I wasn't expecting this to come out of the mouth of the 5 year old.

I look at Arizona, who was also looking back at me, her blue eyes wide in surprise.

It is me who answers…

' Yes Sophie.'

'Good' the little girl smiles and soon she is lost in her own sweet dreams.

'Should we?' I whisper to Arizona, eager to get a confirmation from her.

' Yes, we should' she smiles back at me.

Suddenly, everything in the world seems so perfect.

_**Preview for next chapter…**_

'_What?!' I yell into the receiver. 'So what you'll trying to tell me in a roundabout way is that we can't be her foster parents because we are lesbians?' _

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!! Please do review and tell me what you think….your input is very valuable for me in writing this story….**


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, thanks so much to all of you who reviewed!! Appreciate it lots : )**

**Chapter 4**

**Callie's POV**

**1 month later**

' Well, your vitals are stable- you don't have an infection, your bone xRays are clear' I say to Sophie, smiling as I place my stethoscope around my neck. You can now try walking again with your crutches. But don't push yourself too hard yet. If you feel any pain anywhere, do let me know'.

Sophie smiles happily back at me.

' How's your physiotherapy sessions coming along, Soph?' I ask her.

' Great! The woman said that I am doing well.' she answers earnestly, and I laugh.

Sophie has been progressing well ever since her surgery, and now her fractures are healing properly ( fractures in children always heal fast, faster than adults). Which is good. But also bad….because now….the time that we've dreaded all this while is looming around the corner. It's time for Sophie to be discharged from the hospital and return to …..where is she going to again? Social Services have made it clear that Sophie is not going home to her step-mother anymore. Will they put her in a foster home? Or place her in a children's home first while she waits for a loving couple to adopt her?

Sophie for her part, has made it clear that she wants to stay with both me and Arizona.

What we didn't tell her was that, it isn't as simple as she thinks it is. We didn't see it necessary to break her tiny innocent 5 year old heart.

* * *

The truth was, Arizona and I have fallen in love with his little girl and would do anything to protect her from harm, to protect her from the big bad world outside.

And yes, that includes adopting her.

But of course, like everything else in life, we encountered some major hurdles.

I remember the first time I called the adoption agency.

The person who answered the phone sounded like she'd rather be doing something else, instead of answering silly phone calls like this.

And I still remember the answer she gave me….

' So what make you think that you're qualified to be a foster parent?' she asked matter-of-factly.

I gulp, a bit taken aback by the curt question.

' Well, I am a qualified, world famous Orthopaedic surgeon…and my partner is a world famous Paediatric Surgeon….' I reply, trying to sound more confident than I actually felt. We are very good hearted people who just want to help those in need. '

' So you both are confident that you can be good foster parents' she asked again. ' Sorry, I just want to make sure, because we don't want to just give children away like that'

' Yes,, my partner, she's the most caring woman ever' I try to convince her.

' Wait….your partner is a woman?'

' Yeah, why?'

' You sound like a woman'

' Ermmm….I am a woman' This conversation is getting ridiculous.

' Well, in that case, I'm sorry but I can't help you both.' The woman says, sounding apologetic.

' Why not?'

' Umm…well… we want the best for the children. We want them to be adopted into regular, healthy normal families…you know, with happily married normal couples'

I was almost fuming by then.

'What?!' I yell into the receiver. 'So what you'll trying to tell me in a roundabout way is that we can't be her foster parents because we are lesbians?'

' No…no….what I meant was……' she tried to explain, but I've slammed down the phone.

Calls to other adoption agencies didn't go that well either. Everytime, when Arizona or I give them our details, and they find out that we were both women, they would pretend to sound apologetic, when we knew that what they really wanted to tell us was …..'I'm sorry, but you both cannot adopt because you're gay and you will be a bad influence on the child.' Sometimes, I wish that they would just tell us that in our faces, it is so much easier that way.

' Maybe one of us should just disguise as a man' says Arizona one day, trying to be her usual cheery self, although I know that deep inside, she was hurt too.

* * *

So that explains why until now, we haven't found a home for Sophie yet. But now that she is going to be discharged soon, we have to decide fast for a place for her to stay.

Both Ari and I have been postponing trying to find a foster home or a children's home to place her in, as if delaying this would enable her to be with us longer. We also avoided discussing the matter, and just enjoying spending time with Sophie. But now, it is becoming more urgent and we have to discuss this.

' I don't know' says Arizona. My blonde haired girlfriend is lying on a bed in one of the on call rooms and staring at the ceiling, like she always does when something is disturbing her.

' Does Sophie have any nice relatives who are willing to adopt her?' I ask thoughtfully.

' Hmm…not that I know of. She seems to have no contact with the families of both parents. Which is a shame really.' Says Ari, still staring at the ceiling.

' Well, do you know anyone, just anyone nice who is willing to take care of her?' I ask, more to myself.

' My brother is dead. I have almost lost contact with my old friends. How about you?'

' Errmmm….I'm not sure Aria is open to the idea of adopting a child' I say honestly.

I join Ari on the bed, and we both stare at the ceiling fan.

' Do you think that it's true what they said?' I ask. ' That we both don't qualify to be parents because we are both of the same gender?'

' Maybe they're just being narrow-minded.' Arizona volunteers, trying to be her usual perky self again, but failing miserably.

' I know that we will both be good parents, if we are given a chance to do so'.

I smile at her, hoping and knowing that this statement is true.

* * *

' But I thought that you are both going to adopt me! You promised!' says Sophie, tears beginning to form in her hazel eyes.

' I know dear, I'm so sorry. We really want to, but we can't' says Arizona sadly, taking Sophie's hands in hers.

' Why not?'

Arizona and I exchange glances. How do we explain this to her?

' Well, because we ran into some problems, honey. But we'll get that sorted out soon ok?' I try to sound calm.

' But you both promised!! You lied to me!!' cried Sophie, burying her head into a pillow.

Her sobs were muffled by the pillow.

I know that her little heart is now broken, just like the many bones she had broken in the past. And our hearts break too.

* * *

The day has arrived. Sophie is going to stay in a nearby children's home for some time, while waiting for foster parents to come to adopt her.

She is wearing a flowery pink dress and a pink hat. She looked beautiful, but there was a sad look in her eyes.

Callie and I wheel her out of the hospital lobby and wait for the Home van to pick her up.

At this moment, I feel like a parent who is sending their child off to a faraway place. There is a huge lump forming in my throat. All 3 of us are quiet, a lot of unspoken emotions between us.

The white van approaches. A plump white haired man gets down and takes Sophie.

' Hello there, Sophie right? I'm , and you're going to love it there. You have a lot of friends waiting for you.'

Sophie tries to feign a brave smile.

'We'll keep in touch, I promise' says Arizona, as she kisses Sophie's forehead.

We can see Sophie waving sadly at us from the van window.

When the van pulled out of sight, suddenly the tears that I have been withholding for so long just came out. And this time, it is Arizona who comforts me.

* * *

A few days later, I'm preparing a patient for a leg amputation, when Arizona walks in.

' Callie, I have an idea, of how to get Sophie back. I can't believe I've never thought of it before.' She says. I can detect some excitement in her voice. 'I know it is risky, but it's worth a try.'

' Spill it out' I say, trying not to sound excited as well, at least not in front of a patient who is about to lose a leg.

She said '………………………………..'

**What do you think Arizona suggests and do you think it will work? Review and comments are very much appreciated! Also, feel free to add in any suggestions of your own of what you think Callie and Arizona should do…. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, I'm back, this story is back! : ) Sorry for the late update**_**, **_**was carried away by selectives in SGH. (No, not Seattle Grace Hospital, although I wish it is :p ) **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next update….**

_A few days later, I'm preparing a patient for a leg amputation, when Arizona walks in. _

' _Callie, I have an idea, of how to get Sophie back. I can't believe I've never thought of it before.' She says. I can detect some excitement in her voice. 'I know it is risky, but it's worth a try.'_

' _Spill it out' I say, trying not to sound excited as well, at least not in front of a patient who is about to lose a leg._

_She said '………………………………..'_

' I can be her auntie'

' What?' I thought that I misheard her at first.

But when she repeats the sentence again, I know that she means it. That she is really going to do anything it takes to gain custody of Sophie.

I scoff. 'Right , they'll believe you. What are you going to tell them? That you're her ' some aunt from Arizona?'

'I can make this work. Trust me.' She winks at me.

' Well…okay then…' I return my attention to my patient. My Arizona is always full of surprises and this is no exception. I make a mental note to sit down and have a serious discussion with her about this at home tonight.

' Arizona, how are they going to buy your story? I mean…they obviously know that Sophie doesn't have any relatives, not that she knows of. 'I say as I take a slice the Hawaiian pizza.

' Yeah…that's my point exactly Calliope. If I can somehow convince the Social Services people that I'm an aunt who has been staying in another state and the aunt that she never knew….it might just work..'

I sigh and munch up the pizza. I hope it will work, I really do.

* * *

A few days later, I am awoken by the phone ringing. I groan as Arizona leans over me to pick up the phone which is on my side of the bed.

'Sophie?'

My ears perk up and I sit up on bed immediately at the mention of the little girl's name.

She steals a quick glance at me and switches on the loudspeaker so I can hear the conversation too.

Soon the sweet familiar voice fills the room.

' I miss you both'.

' I know, we miss you too honey'

' Can you both come to get me? I don't like it here.' Sophie's voice sounds whiny, almost like she was begging us to take her.

'Why do you not like it there? Are the other girls being nasty to you?' Arizona sounds really concerned now.

' No…just that it's so crowded in here. I have to fight with the other girls to use the bathroom, and some of them just don't want to play with me'. She sounds like she's about to cry.

' Sophie' I say sternly,. Arizona turns to me in surprise, I had been keeping quiet all the while, absorbing the conversation in.

' Callie?' she sounds so small all of a sudden.

' I'm going over there. I'm coming to take you with me' I say before I can stop myself.

I can hear a squeal of excitement from the other side of the phone.

' Are you sure?'

' Yes, wait there. I'm coming over'. I sound firm, even though I am shaking inside.

Arizona is staring at me, her blue eyes wide open.

' We are going over to pick her up' I say to her matter of factly.

' And get jailed for child abduction?' Arizona sounds incredulous.

' It's worth the risk' I say sternly. 'I just can't bear to leave her there any longer, Ari. Do you?'

Arizona remains silent and a sigh escapes her lips.

* * *

At first glance, the Home seems a little run down, like an old cottage that could really use some repair. A few older children were sweeping the compound and a several more were running around at the playground outside.

I spot Sophie happily swinging at one of the swings, the breeze blowing her brown hair to the air.

She seems to have this contented, far away look on her face, and she doesn't notice us.

Suddenly, one of the other girls, a blonde looking about 3 years older than her walks over to the swing. I think that she is going to talk to Sophie, maybe tell her that we are here. But instead she pushes Sophie off the swing and happily hops on the swing herself.

Sophie picks herself up from the ground, looking dejected and crushed. At that moment, all I want to do is to go up to the blonde and push her off the swing as well.

But Arizona stops me just in time.

Just then, Sophie spots us and her face lights up immediately.

' Callie! Ari!' she runs towards us as fast as her short legs would allow her and embraces us in a tight bear hug.

It was then that I know that she belongs with us and not at the Home.

* * *

'Wow what do we have here?' a familiar voice booms behind us as the three of us walk into the lobby of Seattle Grace hospital.

I look behind to see Bailey holding the hand of her 5 year old son, Tucker.

' You brought your son here today? I haven't seen him in like zillion years…' I say, trying to distract her attention away from Sophie.

Bailey rolls her eyes. 'His nanny had a home emergency today, and it's the weekend so his kindergarten isn't open for the day. So yes, I had to bring him in today.'

' Hi Tucker' Arizona says in her sweet Peads surgeon voice.

' Hi Dr. Ari' says Tucker, looking up at her with his huge eyes. He seems to have grown much bigger since I last saw him.

' This is Sophie. Would you be her friend and bring her around the hospital?'

Tucker agrees, although he seems a bit shy.

Soon the two kids were running down the hospital corridors.

' Don't make too much noise ok? This is a hospital!' Bailey calls out after them.

' So you two took her back?' Bailey asks.

' Yea…we'll have her at least for now' I mutter.

Bailey raises her eyebrows.

'Don't look at me like that. I know….we know what we're doing'. I say, a bit defensively.

' I…I didn't mean that…I just wonder how long can you both keep her without Social Services coming to take her away again' says Bailey. 'That's all I'm saying'

' We wouldn't allow that. We wouldn't allow them to take her away again' says Arizona. I smile at her and wink and she smiles back and winks back at me.

'Callie.'

I look up from the lateral and anterior view XRays of a subtronchateric femoral fracture I was busy analyzing to see my housemate Cristina standing at the door, hands on her hips.

I've stayed with her long enough to know that she is about to voice out her dissatisfaction about something.

' Yes?' I focus my attention back on the XRays.

' This is a hospital, not a playground' she says bluntly.

' I'm sorry, what?' I say, knowing that I sound dumb. I know exactly what she means, I'm just trying to avoid it.

I can feel her rolling her eyes at me behind my back.

' The girl…Sophie…she is running around the hospital the entire day with that Tucker boy. .. They look like they're about to bring the entire hospital down.. I had to stop her from switching on a defibrillator machine. Is it too much for me to ask you to calm them down?'

I smile to myself. Looks like Sophie belongs here in the hospital with the hospital staff after all.

* * *

Arizona and I are now sitting in the Social Services office.

' She never mentioned anything about having an aunt. Neither has her step mother. ' says the young brunette woman sitting in front of us.

' Yes, but that's because she is being cut off from her relatives…her mother didn't really keep in touch with me. And it took a newspaper article for me to find out that she was…..' Arizona eyes begin to tear up.

' In retrospect I should've patched things up with her. I didn't know it was going to end up like this' she continues, her voice quivering.

I look at her stunned. My Arizona is many things, but what I didn't know was that she is

a talented actress as well. She seems so utterly convincing that I can see the woman is also beginning to buy the story.

'So now you want to gain custody of your sister's daughter…'

' Yes….that's the only thing I can do….the best that I can do to make amends with my sister. I own it to her to take care of her daughter…'

The woman looks flustered now. 'Well, ok then. Can I see your documents please? Something to confirm that you're actually the child's aunt?'

Arizona reaches into her handbag and pulls out two birth certificates, one is hers, and the other is what I assume to be Sophie's biological mum.

I was about to whisper to her asking where on earth did she obtain Mrs. Wright's birth certificate, when I noticed something. They both had the same family name and the names of their parents are exactly the same as well.

I am speechless for a moment. Arizona has a lot of explaining to do. Apparently there's a lot I still don't know about her.

**Haha, yep, apparently Arizona has a secret nobody knew about…. Comments, reviews, are very much appreciated! : )**


	6. Chapter 6

**Once again, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! Really appreciate them a lot. : ) **

_I was about to whisper to her asking where on earth did she obtain Mrs. Wright's birth cert, when I noticed something. They both had the same family name and the names of their parents are exactly the same as well._

_I am speechless for a moment. Arizona has a lot of explaining to do. Apparently there's a lot I still don't know about her. _

**Arizona's POV**

My heart is pounding as I wait for the lady's reply. This might be the only chance I have, and I have to grab this opportunity….

' Well, ok then Ms. Robbins, if you're really Sophie's aunt….I guess you can gain temporary custody of her… I but still need both you and Sophie to testify in court…..'

I try my best to hide my smile, but to no avail. I can do this. _We_ can do this. I can gain custody of Sophie…..my niece. The niece I never know existed until a few days ago.

**[ Flashback year 2004]**

' But Alena, you can't just go and leave us like this! 'I cry out.

' Ari, I have to….I just can't stand it here any longer, I want to start a new life…..'

And she walked out of the apartment we shared without turning back.

It had been a tough year for the whole family when our brother Desmond died in Iraq a few months after joining the army. I can recall very clearly the fateful day we received the telegram. I recall clearly mom bawling her eyes out and dad sitting stoic beside her during the funeral. And no one ever recovered fully, including me. Dad drunk his sorrows in bottles, mum just locked herself in the room, and Alena just wanted to escape to a faraway world. As for me, I began learning to hide my sorrows behind the wide smile of mine.

Anyways, back to the topic, that was the last time I saw my little sister Alena. She never returned my numerous calls and faxes and messages and emails. Days turned into months and months turned into years and I never heard from her again. Our family tried filing for a missing person report, but even the cops couldn't do anything. Over time, I had to accept the fact that she was just gone from my life.

**[end flashback]**

So you can imagine my surprise when after days of researching Sophie's background…rummaging her old hospital records, going online, calling up the National Registry for her birth records, .I finally came across an old orbituary of Alena with the mention of Sophie as her only daughter and an old article stating her death in a car accident. It saddened me that I had to find out about her death that way. But my despair of losing a sister that way was overridden by my shock when I found out that her daughter Sophie was indeed actually the Sophie Callie and I had grown attached to.

A visit to the National Registry only confirmed what I had suspected earlier. My sister's full name was clearly stated on her birth certificate.

I had thought of calling my parents to tell them that they have a granddaughter, but I put that off, as I didn't know how they would react. Dad is now an alcoholic and mum is now in clinical depression, and I just don't want Sophie to meet them just yet.

* * *

' So you're actually Sophie's real aunt?' Callie asks me, her eyes wide open in shock. I had just finished telling her my whole story. She had been literally begging the entire story out of me throughout the entire journey home after the visit.

I nod, swallowing hard and not looking at her.

My Calliope looks hurt all of a sudden.

'Arizona, all this while I had exposed my entire self to you. I bared my entire soul to you. I told you every single thing you needed to know about me….my past, my dad, my sister….every single good and bad habit and characteristic. But you never told me anything about yourself, other than your dead brother. Looks like I still don't know you Arizona'

' I'm sorry, Calliope, I was still processing that piece of information myself….'

' But still….you could've told me the moment you found out, we could've celebrated….I mean, reacted to the news together….'

She sounds positively hurt, and now I feel sorry for not having told her sooner. She is my girlfriend after all, and girlfriends, like BFFs, are supposed to share everything together.

Callie stands up and begins walking towards the bedroom door. She swings the door open and was about to slam it shut when I call out

' Calliope, wait!'

She stops in her tracks and turns back to look at me.

' Always look on the positive side, Calliope.' I smile. 'Now that we know Sophie is my niece, I can legally adopt her without any problem and we can both take care of her and raise her up to be a wonderful human being. Are you up for that?'

A beautiful smile begins to form on Callie's face. She walks over to me and gives me a friendly peck on the cheek. And then we pull each other into a bear hug.

' We're going to make great parents Calliope' I say.

' Yes, we are' she says. I can feel her smiling behind my back.

* * *

' So Ms. Robbins, why was it that you were absent from the child's life for her first 6 years?' the attorney asks me.

It is the day of the trial, and almost all of the Seattle Grace staff are here to cheer me on.

' I didn't know about her, I just found out a few days ago that she is my niece. I lost touch with her mother, my sister years ago.'

' So you're saying that if you gain custody of her, she'll be in great hands? That you'll give her all the love and protection that a child needs?'

I steal a glance at Callie, who if possible looks even more beautiful than ever today, with her black jacket matching her curls. She gives me the most encouraging smile ever, as if to say ' Com'on Arizona, you can do it…you've got my back, I'm always her to support you no matter what'

With renewed purpose and energy, I turn back to face the serious looking attorney and say firmly 'Yes, I'll give Sophie all the love that she needs. I already love her with all my heart.'

'Even if you've known her for only a few days?' he asks me sarcastically.

' Objection!' the judge raps on his desk.

I am unrattled.

'Actually I've known her for a couple of months. She was my patient for 2 months in the Seattle Grace Hospital'.

' So she is a special needs child? Based on the records I have here, she has a condition….'

' I managed to fix her, but yes she has _Osteogenesis Imperfecta_, a condition which causes her to suffer numerous fractures throughout her life.'

' So you're saying that you are capable of taking care of a special needs child despite the current demands of your job…'

' Objection!'

' With all due respect sir, I'm a Paediatrics surgeon, and I due with kids, sick kids and special needs kids and all type of kids daily. So yes, I say that I'm fully capable of bringing up this child on my own. '

Callie is now playing with her fingernails. I wish that she could say something right now, at least a word of encouragement. But this is my battle, Sophie is my own niece, not hers. So there is nothing much Callie can do except to support me.

Now it's Sophie's turn to testify. She walks up slowly to the witnesses seat and tries to make herself comfortable. She looks at Callie and me and we smile at her give her encouragement.

' So Sophie, you've never known this aunt before?' asks the attorney.

' No…my parents never told me about her.' She suddenly looks so grown up for her age.

' But now that I know about her, I love her so much.' She adds. Callie and I exchange a smile.

' Sophie Wright, do you want Dr. Arizona Robbins to be your legal guardian?' asks the Judge.

A wide smile spreads across her face. 'Yes I do!'

' Ok, I now declare Dr. Arizona Robbins to be the legal custodian of Sophie Wright.'

Everyone rises from their seats and applauds.

Sophie runs across to us , a wide smile in her face, and we pull her into a bear hug.

' Careful, don't hug her too tightly' I say, already in my full mother mode.

We laugh.

I feel as if our family and my life is now complete.

* * *

_A few days later…._

When I open my eyes, the sun is already shining brightly into the bedroom. I look over and notice that Callie's side of the bed is empty.

I find her in the kitchen staring out of the window into the busy street below. She is absent mindedly stirring her untouched cup of coffee.

' Calliope' I join her on the kitchen counter, giving her a kiss on the cheek. 'Where's Sophie?'

'She is downstairs in the neighbourhood playground playing with the other kids. She had her cereal already'.

' Good, that's good' I smile.

My smile then turns into a frown. ' Is she supposed to be playing with the other normal children? One simple fall and she might fracture herself again. Her bones are not fully united yet. She's lucky she didn't fracture herself when that child pushed her off the swing that day.'

Callie doesn't answer.

I turn to face her.

' Hey, you ok?' I ask, cupping her face in my hands.

I realize to my horror that she is crying. Tears are rolling furiously down her cheeks.

' Oh no…what happened Calliope?' I dare not ask whether something had happened to Sophie.

' It's all going to be about Sophie now, is it? Is Sophie ok? Did she get hurt today? Is that all our conversations are going to be based on from now onwards? Do you even care about me enough to ask whether I'm ok or not?'

I am taken aback by her sudden outburst. I didn't expect that! But then again, she has a point. Maybe I had been focusing my attention too much on the little girl until I've neglected my relationship with my girlfriend. I need to repent.

' No Calliope, you're the love of my life….I still love you. I love you both ok?' I hug her close to her, ruffling her dark curls.

She looks at me, stifling a sob. 'Right, but I still find it not fair that you are now her legal guardian but I'm not. You get to have a say in everything regarding Sophie's life, but I don't because I'm not related to her and I'm not her legal guardian.'

I think this over. What she says is true….

' Why not we get married? Then you can adopt her legally….'

Callie stares at me for moment and laughs so hard until she has to clutch her stomach.

'The last time we tried to adopt her together, they didn't allow us to do so. What makes you think they would change their mind now?'

'You still can take care of her too. We'll take good care of her together ok? And I promise Sophie wouldn't come in between us. In fact she'll bond us closer together…' I say as I hold her tight.

_It's ok, I think to myself. Everything is going to be ok…_

**Reviews and comments are love!! So please do keep them coming!! And congrats Jessica Capshaw and her hubby on the recent announcement, the baby boom continues on the actual Grey's Anatomy set! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I'm back again after a one week trip to China. :) I take it that you're all satisfied with the previous chapter? ;) Anyways here is a brand new chapter for you. Enjoy!! **

It has been almost a year, 10 months exactly since Arizona has legally adopted her. Initially, I felt left out as I wasn't the one related to Sophie, but Ari made sure that I didn't have to feel that way.

' Let's get married' she suggested one day as we were lying naked in bed with a wide grin in her face.

That of course earned a smirk from me. I had always been the skeptical one, and this was no exception.

'I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but I don't think the state we're staying in now advocates same sex marriages'

' Well, let's get married in Vegas!' she suggested cheerfully.

' What?! Vegas?! Not again....' I groaned, recalling how George and I got eloped in Vegas years ago. Well, that didn't end well indeed... although I still miss him and find myself thinking of him every now and then.

' Why not?' Ari sounded confused. 'It's one of the places where couples like us can actually get married'.

' I just...well everytime I hear Vegas...I think of George' I let out a sigh.

' Oh Calliope' Arizona sighed, twisting my dark wavy hair with her fingers. ' I know you still miss him. And in a strange way, I do too, even if I hadn't really gotten to know him. But I'm not George. We'll be together forever, we'll make this happen, ok? I love you Calliope, and I want to send the rest of my life with you.'

Those were the words that were enough to melt my heart and make me cave in as I reached over to kiss her on her lips.

It was a private wedding ceremony, a small and simple wedding ceremony in a tiny chapel in Vegas. The only people present were both of us, Sophie and the priest. Which was exactly the way we wanted. Arizona was wearing a beautiful blue Versace gown which looked stunning on her, and a pair of matching earrings. and I was wearing a beautiful black dress. Sophie was wearing a pink dress which made her look like a princess. The priest made us exchange our vows and then we walked out of the chapel with me holding a wedding banquet in my hands and Sophie trotting happily alongside us. That night we dined in the most expensive restaurant in Las Vegas. It was a perfect day indeed.

And life after that couldn't be more perfect. As I am now married to Arizona, I can now legally adopt Sophie as my own daughter, something which I had been waiting to do for like ages.

Life as a parent couldn't have been more perfect either. Sophie as it turned out is the sweetest little girl I've ever met and not a single moment have I ever regretted bringing her into our lives. She is the sunshine and joy of my life as well as Arizona's. Everyday, whenever we returned from our long shifts in the hospital, the wide smile on her face, her infectious laughter and her cheerful spirit is what always made our day better. We have enrolled her into a kindergarten not far away from the hospital, and she seemed to be fitting in well there. Arizona and I always make sure that one of us pick her up from school and spend time with her if the other is busy, so that Sophie wouldn't feel abandoned. As it turned out, Sophie is a hit among the other doctors in Seattle Grace too. Whenever both Ari and I happen to have shifts during the same time (which we have arranged in such a way to minimize that from happening), the residents were more than willing to have her under their care.

Throughout the entire 10 months that Sophie has been under our custody, she had suffered a few main fractures, a closed fracture of her right femur and an open fracture of her left tibia. And oh yeah...a greenstick fracture of her right radius too. One was from a fall of the swing when another kid in kindy pushed her off the swing, another was when she slipped and fell at home when Arizona forgot to pick up banana peel she had dropped on the kitchen floor. But Sophie reacted to each fracture as if it were part of her life. She cherished her casts and bandages and always went around the hospital asking the residents or interns to sign them. Right now, she has an about knee cast on both legs....again.

The best thing about Sophie, besides her sweet spirit was that she brought Arizona and I even closer together. The fact that we now have a child together taught us to be more accountable towards each other. She is now the strong bond, the glue that holds us together.

* * *

' What a beautiful day this is. Life is so perfect' I smile to myself as I prepare pancakes in the kitchen of our apartment one morning, humming to myself. Cristina had moved out with Owen long ago, so it's just me, Ari and Sophie living there right now, our own cosy quarters. Usually Sophie would be up by now, asking me questions like 'Why do you flip over the pancakes like that?'

But this morning, there is no sign of her.

'She must be still fast asleep in her own bed' I think to myself, smiling. Arizona is still fast asleep too, having just returned from a 20 hour shift 4 hours ago.

Sophie?' I poke my head into her room, a cosy room with beautiful pink wallpapers and a beautiful bed covered by a cosy pink duvet.

I am greeted by soft snores. I grin to myself. Our little girl looks so cute and adorable when she is fast asleep. I always thank God for her, especially when I tuck her in bed at night after a bedtime story and look at her peaceful sleeping figure, the beautiful rosy face and the dark curls. In fact, I think in some ways, she looks just like me.

I shake the little girl. 'Wake up Soph' I say softly. 'It's breakfast time'

I am greeted by a small grunt as she rolled over on her side, her back facing mine.

Alarm bells are now ringing in my head, call it a mother's instinct. Usually, Sophie would be fast awake by this time and grinning at me when I go to wake her. But there's something wrong with her today. I just know it.

'Sophie, are you ok?'

I feel her forehead and gasped when I realize that it is burning hot.

I rush into our bedroom and shake Arizona awake.

'Calliope? Can you let me sleep for a while longer....I am still tired...'

' There's something wrong with Sophie. Her forehead is burning'

At my words, Arizona leaps out of our bed, pulls on her clothes and walked over to Sophie's bedroom. She confirms my fears. ' She is running a high fever. It might be an infection. Let's get her to the hospital'.

The two Grey sisters are already standing at the lobby waiting by the time we arrive at the hospital.

' Get her a room now' Arizona orders, quickly switching from mother to surgeon mode. 'And order some blood culture tests. Me thinks she has an infection'.

* * *

Half a day later, Sophie still isn't feeling any better. Her temperature is a high 40, and she is starting to become delirious, muttering unintelligible words. Arizona and I take turns to be in the room, holding her hands and watching her slip in and out of consciousness as the IV drip administered normal saline and dextrose solutions as well as IV antibiotics into her. Even the residents would come to check on her once in a while, especially Meredith and Lexie who are in charge of her.

I am now holding Sophie's hand, telling her for the hundreth time how much I love her.

There is a knock at the door. Lexie appears, holding Sophie's blood culture lab results.

I grab the test results from Lexie without asking.

'Positive for Staph. Aureus' it read.

What could possibly be the cause of her infection? As her Orthopaedic surgeon, I know the answer.

The organism itself indicates that she might have osteomyelitis. Which could very well be due to the rods that I had inserted into Sophie's femurs almost a year ago.... They didn't really unite, especially since she had another femoral fracture after that.

Was this all my fault?

But I have no time to blame myself...as just then, the monitors started beeping. My Sophie, our Sophie, was slipping away fast into unconsiousness again.

' Her BP and pulse are dropping' gasped Lexie.

' Go get Arizona!' I cried.

I press the alarm at the edge of the bed. 'Code blue!'

**Haha yeah, I'm evil, I know! Reviews, comments, are very very welcome!!**


	8. Chapter 8

_But I have no time to blame myself...as just then, the monitors started beeping. My Sophie, our Sophie, was slipping away fast into unconsiousness again. _

_' Her BP and pulse are dropping' gasped Lexie._

_' Go get Arizona!' I cried._

_I press the alarm at the edge of the bed. 'Code blue!'_

**Arizona's POV**

As soon as I received the page and the Code Blue, I knew something was wrong, very wrong.

' What happened? I asked panicked as I enter Sophie's room.

I steal a glance at Sophie's lifeless form and shake my head.

' oh my God...no...no...not...I...I can't do this anymore' and walk back out of the room, tears starting to well in my eyes.

Callie is by my side in an instant.

' Ari...she said softly. ' I know this is hard on you. This is hard on me too. But you have to be strong ok? Be strong for Sophie, for me. Both of us need you right now.'

' I...I can't treat my own daughter.' I say, my voice small. 'Let me get , he is one of the best Paediatric surgeons in this hospital....'

' No...' says Callie, the force of her voice causing me to jump. ' YOU are the best Paediatric Surgeon that we have, Ari, and you know that. So you are going to treat our daughter, and you're going to fix her. Because she deserves the best.'

I stare at my Calliope for a second, at loss for words.

' Ok...' I say finally.. in a cautious voice. 'But I'm going to treat her as my patient, and not my daughter. Not because I don't love her, I do very much, but because this is what is best for me and for her. I can't treat someone who is related to me.'

It's true....we surgeons just cannot have someone related to us under our care. Because if that's the case, we become too emotionally attached to our patients. And when we become too emotionally attached, we cannot provide the best level of care which the patient deserves.

Callie nods, she understands. After all, she is a surgeon too.

I walk into Sophie's room and begin to take charge. Taking out the defibrillator, I find myself praying to God, something which I seldom do, but I've always seen Callie do.

' Charge to 300.....' and I press on Sophie's chest. No response.

' Charging to 400' press. No response.

' Charge to 500!' By now, I am frantic. She is now flatlining and I can feel her slipping away from me.

' Sophie don't go...don't leave me....don't leave us....' I whisper to her, almost begging her.

She has now become part of our lives, I can't imagine what life will be like without her.

I put down the defibrillator and place my head in my hands.

' Try again' Meredith, who is standing beside me, said quietly. ' I came back to life when Cristina told Bailey to try again several years ago. So now, I'm asking you to try again'.

I purse my lips in determination.

' Charge to 600!' This time, there is a response. I can see V-fib on the monitor, before it progressed to sinus rhythm. And I let out a sigh of relief.

I take Sophie's cold hand into mine. 'Don't you ever do that to me again. Don't you ever leave me' I whisper to her.

And I take a glance at Callie who had been standing still in shock all this while. She moves to the other side of Sophie's bed and takes Sophie's other hand. And with her free hand, she takes my free hand. At that moment, we both know that no matter what happens, we will always have each other.

After running plenty of tests on Sophie, it became clear that she has septicaemia, which means systemic infection of her entire body. It could've been caused by anything, ranging from a previous surgery, to a recent respiratory tract infection....we don't know. But what I do know is that she needs to be treated as soon as possible. As a Paediatric surgeon, I had seen my fair share of cases whereby parents have lost their child due to septicaemia. And I certainly didn't want to be one of them.

The next day, Sophie's fever had yet to go down, despite of the various broad spectrum antibiotics we had administered to her. It is very worrying indeed, and I had to cancel all my surgeries so that I could concentrate on treating Sophie.

I am in Sophie's room again, trying to make sense of her chart readings, when suddenly I thought I heard her stir in her bed.

I am by her side in an instant.

She opens her beautiful hazel eyes to look at me.

'Momma?' she said in a small voice.

' Yes dear, I'm here'. I smile at her.

' Where am I?'

' In the hospital dear.'

' Where's Mommy?'

' She has to go check on some patients, she'll be here soon.'

' I love you both so much.' she whispered, before closing her eyes again.

' We love you too' I whisper back, kissing her forehead which is still burning hot.

I can never tell her enough how much I love her.

Just then, Callie enters the room, looking disheveled.

' She woke up just now and was asking for you' I say softly so as not to wake Sophie.

Callie is by her side in an instant and feeling her forehead.

' She still has fever' she frowned, stroking the girl's dark brown hair.

Before we know it, we are both cuddled on the bed together with our daughter safe in the middle.

We are a happy family, and no one, not even God, is going to take that away from us.

* * *

It was so comfortable on Sophie's bed that I fell asleep, succumbing to the weariness that had engulfed me after the day's events.

When I open my eyes, Callie is already gone....to check on a patient I presume.

Sophie is lying very still on her bed...not stirring a single bit. I take her hands into mine,and realize that her hands are cold and clammy. Panicked, I check for a pulse...but couldn't get any.

' Sophie?' I shake her hard...but there is no response.

This has got to be a nightmare...I think to myself. She is just playing with me.

_' Sophie...wake up please...don't do this to me...'_ I shake her even harder.

No response.

By now, I'm frantic, desperate, and tears are pouring down my cheeks.

Sophie, for her part, looks so peaceful with a slight smile on her face, as if she is lost in her own sweet dreams.

Without thinking, I page Callie who is in the room in an instant.

Both of us are now beside Sophie, holding her hands tightly, not wanting to let go.

Callie also has tears running down her cheeks now.

Sophie suddenly opens her huge hazel eyes to look at both of us, studying us intently.

' Sophie? Sophie dear you're awake!' Callie cried, a wide smile forming through her tears.

I grasp Sophie's right hand even harder.

' Mommy, momma'

' We're here Sophie'

' Thank you.....'

And with that...she is gone.

She left us after saying thank you, after thanking us for the sweet 10 months we had together. For giving her a wonderful life, a life that she never would have imagined for herself before setting foot in Seattle Grace hospital.

And we have to thank her too, our little girl, the little precious angel sent to us, who had light up our lives for the past year. Life would never be the same again.

Callie and I sat still beside Sophie's bed for several hours, just holding her hands tight, not wanting to let go. It is as if should we let go of her hands, she would just slip away from us.

It took me great courage to announce the time of death. My heart is as heavy as iron, sinking down deep into the ocean. My body feels as if it has been ripped apart. I feel as if a part of me has been taken away from me.

* * *

It took both Callie and I a good few days before the floodgates officially opened. Initially, we would just walk around like zombies, pretending to go about our daily activities and ignoring the sympathetic glances cast our way by colleagues. My feelings are numb, I just didn't want to feel anything anymore. Denial, the first stage of grief.

We didn't even cry during the funeral, held during a beautiful day, attended by almost all the hospital staff and kindergarten kids. That was a hint of how loved Sophie was, how many lives she had touched during her short time on this earth.

I could place all my blame on God, for cruelly taking this precious angel away from me, but I tell myself time and time again that she is now safe in heaven with Him.

One day, several days after the funeral, I wake up in the middle of the night to find Callie's side of the bed empty. I find her in the kitchen, sipping a cup of hot cocoa.

' Couldn't sleep' she said looking at me sheepishly.

I take my sit beside her.

' The autopsy results came back today' I said. ' Tested positive for meningitis'.

'Meningitis? Why did we miss that out?! She had been complaining of headaches and neck stiffness and photophobia for days....' Callie looks like she is about to cry again.

' I know...I should've done a lumbar puncture on her' I sighed.

Actually the thought of an LP did cross my mind....but I brushed it off, thinking that Sophie just had an infection and could be cured by antibiotics. How wrong I was.

' We should've suspected it earlier....' Callie sounds so small.

I put my arms around her, trying to comfort her.

' It's not our fault, it's not anybody's fault Calliope. She just developed normal symptoms of a URTI. We wouldn't have suspected it.'

' I miss her'

' I know, I do too. She was our little precious angel. Maybe it was time for her to return to her Creator'.

Callie started to sob again, and I wrap my arms around her tight, feeling the tears rolling down my cheeks. This was why I told Callie initially that I didn't want to have kids of my own. Because it hurts too much when you invest so much love in them only to have them being taken away from you. I know that too well, seeing so much parents lose their children throughout my career. But never had I expected that I would be one of those parents. The heartache is too dull to be healed over time.

Callie suddenly looks out of the window.

' Oh look.!'

I look out to see a constellation of stars shining brightly down at us.

And we both smile, knowing that Sophie is now looking down at us, smiling at us.

I take Callie's hand in mine and squeeze it. At least I still have her, and I know that we will get through this together.

Maybe, just maybe one day we both might adopt again. But now, we both know that we have each other. And we both know that somewhere out there, Sophie is watching over us. And in more ways than one, she is still with us, deep in our hearts.

**Ok, please don't kill me :P I just wanted to end this story before uni reopens next week. But somehow I feel that this is an approriate ending to the story.....as sad as it is. **

**Comments, reviews are VERY welcome! :) **


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